In April police officers from the criminal investigation department burst into the home of a Protestant pastor in northwest Uzbekistan, disrupting 12 people as they were having lunch together. The pastor and another believer were charged with "breaking the laws on teaching religion," according to Compass Direct.

The raid targeted Pastor Lunkin Sergey of the Union of Independent Churches (uic). Police confiscated the pastor's computer and all his Christian literature, including 32 Bibles. Another uic member was also detained. Legal charges were lodged against both. Three Turkmen citizens at the luncheon were deported back to Turkmenistan.

In a separate incident, three Protestant church members in the Uzbek capital of Tashkent were arrested on April 21 while visiting and helping feed patients at a tuberculosis hospital for children.

Since the May 2005 demonstration in the city of Andijan in which a reported 750 people were killed by army troops, the political, economic and religious climates have deteriorated. Also, the pressure on the church has become much worse. The government often associates the Uzbek church with the West, thinking that the rapid growth of Christianity in the country is because of Western financial support.

In an effort to put an end to the growth of Christianity, police officers have interrogated many of the pastors, created extensive personal files on every Uzbek Christian leader, and attempted to close even registered churches. Uzbekistan is ranked No. 12 on Open Doors' World Watch List of countries where Christians suffer the most for their faith.

President Islam Karimov, who has ruled Uzbekistan for 17 years, doesn't tolerate dissent and doesn't permit religious activity outside of state-controlled institutions. Uzbekistan, which has the largest population of any country in Central Asia with 26.4 million people, is 99 percent Islam and 1 percent Christian.

In spite of the crackdown, the church continues to grow. In fact, during the past 15 years at least 25,000 ethnic Uzbeks have converted to Christianity.

Persecution Report is presented in cooperation with Open Doors USA, which serves the Persecuted Church through training, Bible distribution, and community development. For more information, call 1-888-5-BIBLE-5 or visit www.odusa.org.

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